


Confusion

by MotherOfOompaLoompas



Series: Brothers in All but Blood [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherly Love, Comfort, Confusion, First Meetings, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24340411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherOfOompaLoompas/pseuds/MotherOfOompaLoompas
Summary: Shortly after becoming Robin, Tim goes to Dick to clear up a few questions.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson
Series: Brothers in All but Blood [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683295
Comments: 5
Kudos: 294





	Confusion

He was on his way out of the precinct when he ran into a small kid, knocking the kid to the ground.

“Oh, shoot. Sorry, kiddo.”

The kid just stared up at him in wonder and amazement. Taking a closer look at him, Dick realized he knew the kid.

“You’re Tim Drake, that came to my apartment a few months back.” This kid had in fact knocked on his door to request he return to Gotham to be Robin, but he couldn’t announce that in the middle of the precinct.

“Umm, yeah,” he replied to Dick’s statement. “Sorry to bother you at work. I probably shouldn’t have come. Or maybe I should have called first. Either way this was a bad idea. You don’t even want to talk to me. Sorry. I’ll go now.” Tim rambled, giving Dick no time to respond before turning to leave the building.

“Wait a minute, kiddo,” Dick rushed, grabbing the kid’s shoulder before he could get out of reach. “You’re not bothering me. I’d be happy to talk with me. Want to talk at my apartment instead? I promise it will be more comfortable.”

“Sure.” The kid was looking down, clearly nervous.

Dick took it upon himself to lead the kid out of the building. From there, they walked to his apartment, and when they got there he did his best to make the kid comfortable, asking if he wanted anything to eat or drink, before sitting them both down at the kitchen table to begin the conversation.

“Ok, kid, what did you need?” Dick inquired, trying to keep the conversation in Tim’s control.

Tim sat in front of him clasping his fingers painfully tightly in his lap, clearly trying not to fidget. “Well, I just wanted to ask for some clarification on some things Bruce has insinuated.”

That made sense. Dick knew that when he had refused to return to Gotham, Tim had taken up the Robin mantle. It wasn’t an easy job, especially with Bruce the way he was, and with the few, vicious fights Dick and Bruce had after Jason’s death, Tim was probably having a hard time dealing with Bruce.

He should have expected the kid to come to him for advice on how to deal with that man.

Dick sighed. “Ok, ask away.”

Tim looked him in the eye this time, sitting up a little straighter, as if preparing for a speech. It was kind of cute.

“So, I know that you were the ward of Bruce Wayne, and Jason was his adopted son. Bruce considered both of you his sons, and you considered each other brothers. What I’m confused about is that Bruce has implied that I am also a member of your family. However, that doesn’t make sense as I am not legally related to any of you, nor do we have any of the emotional familial connections that would make this necessary.” Here the kid stopped, looking to Dick for an explanation.

Dick stared right back before taking a deep breath. This was not the conversation he had been preparing to have.

He put his head in his hands, sighing heavily before letting out a light chuckle.

“Do you know what it means to be Robin?”

“Of course!” Tim interrupted, almost cutting off the end of Dick’s sentence. “Robin is the light to Batman’s darkness. Without him, Batman is nothing more than another person using violence to ‘fix’ the city; he’s practically a criminal. Robin makes him seem more friendly and light hearted. He represents the cause Batman fights for. He is innocence; he is  _ hope. _ ”

“True,” Dick said slowly, because the kid was spot on in knowing what he was to the public, but that wasn’t what Dick was getting at. “But what does it mean to be  _ Batman’s _ Robin?”

Tim was slightly more hesitant to answer this time. “Robin is Batman’s humanity. His reason to hold back and not become the monster he is capable of being.”

“Right. Robin is Batman’s anchor. Can an anchor work if it’s not attached to a ship?”

“No.”

“Bruce can’t either. He has a personal attachment to all his Robins. He has an emotional attachment. He sees himself in you, and he wants to help you. He wants to love you. Even if he’s bad at showing it. He has implied that you are part of the family because just like the last two Robins, he considers you as part of the family. He considers you his son. Even if he hasn’t managed to legally adopt you yet.”

It was silent between them for a moment.

“Oh,” Tim said quietly, face turned down once more.

“You are family, even if you don’t realize it. You’re  _ my _ family too. Understand?”

“I guess.” From the hesitance in his voice, Dick could tell the kid didn’t quite believe that was the case, but he would learn. He’d find his place in their family.

“Ok, well, with that out of the way, want to stay for dinner? We could get pizza? Or Chinese? Whatever you want.”

“I’m good with whatever you want.”

Yeah, Dick would have to work harder at getting this kid comfortable in the family.


End file.
